IIT-Madras team develops material to improve rechargeable battery – Times of India

CHENNAI: City researchers have developed a new combination of nanomaterial for rechargeable lithium ion batteries used in electronic gadgets like smartphones and laptops and electric vehicles that can improve performance and enhance life. A team from IIT Madras and International Advanced Research Centre for Powder Metallurgy and New Materials (ARCI) at IIT-M Research Park, developed the combination.
Prof Prathap Haridoss, department of metallurgical and materials engineering, IIT-M, said the composite of molybdenum trioxide nanobelts and single walled carbon nanohorns, a flower-like structure developed for anode in a battery, showed high energy storage capacity, better cycle life. “Both molybdenum trioxide and the carbon material have already been looked at separately as an anode, but they have limitations. The combination we have made is showing much more promise than either of the materials separately.” Molybdenum is used to make parts of aircraft, missiles and as an alloying agent in steel, while carbon nanohorns belong to the carbon nanomaterial family that includes carbon nanotubes and graphene.
Alithium ion battery, made up of an anode, cathode, separator, electrolyte and two current collectors-the positive and negative- is charged and discharged by lithium ions moving between anode electrodes, made of graphite, and cathode electrodes, made of nickelbased material. The limited lifetime of lithium ion batteries has remained a challenge.
Raghavan Gopalan, regional director of ARCI, said the use of carbon nanohorns enhances the lithium storage capability of molybdenum trioxide nanobelts, which already has high charge-discharge capability and structural stability, by improving its conductivity. “When produced on a large scale, it will be a big boon for the electronic and EV industry,” he said.
Raju Prakash, team lead, ARCI, said the structural morphology of the material, which may otherwise be affected and could lead to less cycle life, remained stable when tested at a high charge rate of 5C, which is just 12 minutes to achieve full charge, thereby showing a potential for better battery life.